An overview of Ismaïl Bahri's practice and most recent research, presented through an in-depth interview between the artist and François Piron, illustrated with numerous reproductions.
Ismaïl Bahri (born 1978) studied art in Paris and Tunis, his birth town. He works in both cities. Bahri works with video, drawing, sculpture and sound, without confining himself to any particular medium. He positions himself as an observer in order to create a framework for capturing gestures and empirical experiences, paying attention to "what is happening". His work explores the meaning that emerges at the periphery of vision, and the presence of the surrounding world as it manifests itself and reveals itself.
His works have been exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, the
Jeu de Paume, the Museo Reina Sofía, the Espace Khiasma, the Beirut Art Centre, the Staatliche Kunsthalle in Karlsruhe and the IVAM (Institut Valencià d'Art Modern). His films and videos have been screened at international festivals and events, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, FIDMarseille and the Kunstenfestivaldesarts. His work has been exhibited at international biennials, notably the 11th Sharjah Biennial (2013) and the 13th Sharjah Biennial (2017), the Gherdëina Biennial in Italy (2024), and the Dakar Biennial in Senegal (2026). In 2023–2024, Ismaïl Bahri was an artist-in-residence at the Villa Medici (French Academy in Rome).
